You'll Need To Appease This Porcupine Chair Before You Can Sit On It

Tired of having to deal with people's arses being shoved in its face, the Wild Chair has developed a set of spiky quills, like a porcupine, allowing it to finally fight back against aggressive sitters.

Actually, it's just a far out design project cooked up by a couple of designers and MIT folk, but that doesn't mean you don't have to be careful around it.

Created by J.C. Karich, Pauline Jamilloux, and students from MIT's Media Lab, the Wild Chair started life as a run-of-the-mill Ikea seat before it was given a bad attitude. The backrest is now covered in a wall of sharp wooden quills that rise up in defense (thanks to sensors and a servo motor) whenever someone rushes up to sit on it.

So if you hope to use it as a place to rest your feet without getting repeatedly stabbed in the back, you'll need to creep up on the chair slowly, whisper a few reassuring words, and gently stroke its back. Only then will the Wild Chair keep its quills lowered so you can have a comfy place to sit. [J.C. Karich via FastCo Design]